A Journey to Unknown-The Girl Whol Leapt Through Time
by SoraTakinouchi
Summary: Makoto Konno is at the crossroads of her life. She needs to make a few decisions. But first, she needs to make a journey. The most unexpected one of her life. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
1. Chapter 1

A JOURNEY TO UNKNOWN

**Prologue**

_A/N: Warning! Those of you who have not watched The Girl Who Leapt Through Time movie, better watch it first if you want to understand this fanfiction. That movie is one of the best anime movies with a slight flaw at the very end. The cliff hanger. My fanfiction will go forward from that point on and I will try to unhang the story from the cliff. But you must watch it first before reading my story. That's why I wrote author's note at the beginning instead of end._

_The Prologue is basically my version of summary of the movie from Chiaki's POV. Again, you won't get it until you see the movie._

_Kindly use the review option at the end of the page. It's given there to be used, you know, and not as an ornamental piece. ;)_

He was not the only one to travel back in time; not by a long shot. And he knew it, too. It was only that very few of his time were ever really interested in the past, in the history, in their origin. It was mostly for that reason he never met any of them during his time spent in past, not that he wanted to. The other reason was how wrongly they were taught about their past; the Great War that consumed the whole world in its wrath, the old videos of mutilated bodies; burned to bones, slaughtered, bleeding, the smoking cities, the images of misery. They were told it was a world of monsters; people slaves to their greed. Weapons of mass destruction; a race to seek the quickest way to make themselves extinct, were created, millions of resources wasted on them. Money. Labor. Brains and wisdom. A mad hunt for more resources, the ever growing greed. Lies, hypocrisy, government policies. It all went to chaos in the end. All hell broke loose. It came to the point where it was all about who releases the weapons first, who wipe the population out of the other country before it wipes theirs first.

The survivors were the quickest to press their buttons. They were guilty of pulling the trigger of that race. The people of his time were descendents of murderers. They were not proud of it either. It was mainly that guilt that equally resides in them that made them try to make things better.

They were told it was not safe in those times and it killed any possible wish they could have for going back to the past, any remnant of curiosity, any seed of interest. People wanted to be safe more than anything.

He knew it was not all lies. He knew The Great War separated their present world from the one of past, of a century earlier. But he also was one of the very few who believed that it's not the complete truth anyway. There must be something before the war, people living normal lives, doing simple things, living happily before everything crashed around them. He went to test his theory.

He was not disappointed.

Spending several years in the past, decades before the Great War, he had grown to love it. That life was a simple one; a time when nature was still very much alive. Not like his time when trees are guarded like treasure, animals secured in enormous artificial habitats, flowers encased in a protective case where they were out of reach of any human and can grow freely. All to grow the nature back to its beauty, to bring back the world of nature and greenery and birds.

It was not like that in the past. He was fairly surprised to see the kids climbing the trees, plucking the flowers, making bracelets of them. And there were so _many_ of them too. Trees lining the roads, in the parks, an occasional potted plant peeking out the apartment balcony. Then there were animals. Cats, dogs, squirrels, butterflies, worms; it was all too much for him to swallow. People live with them, feed them, walk them. The concept of an animal in home was too alien to him. He was only used to seeing a glimpse of them when passing the boundaries of a habitat and now there were too many of them, within touching distance, alive and real and warm.

Then there were people; so many of them. Crowding the streets, schools, parks, wherever he look. The school system had specially baffled him. So many people of young age. All in one place. It was like a constant bubbling of enthusiasm everywhere. The very air thrummed with the young energies. It was contagious.

But his memories were mostly filled by Makoto and Kosuke. They never left him even when he went back to his time, their memories engraved in his mind. Kosuke's frown, his smirk, his nerdy glasses, his loud laugh, his frustration at their non-serious behavior, the way he would give them a disapproving look after they do something silly (which was most of the time when he was with Makoto), his nervousness about his exams, how he teased him getting school late, everything.

Then there was Makoto. Loud, bold, boyish but somehow beautiful in a strange, innocent sort of way. He missed her the most; her laughter, the strained look on her face when she studies (which was hardly ever), her whining complaints about Kosuke's long hits when she had to chase the ball, her anger over small things that bother her, but most of all making every moment with her twice as funny whenever he recalled them. Something about the way she would make a sarcastic comment when tempers were already running short and they were in a tough situation would make him laugh whenever he recalled those times and he missed her even more. He also missed how she used to act angry when she was really embarrassed and flustered. The way her eyes spark with a smile over small things of her interest. She was the only person who could smile and grin and cry and show every other emotion from her eyes just as well as by her face or words. Her eyes were alive in a strange way.

She was the first one to accept him as he introduced himself as a foreign student. She was all energetic and excited about his country and initially he found it hard to answer her questions without searching for everything online first. Kosuke was not exactly happy to have yet another non-serious person as his friend but he soon got over it. Still, some of his most cherished memories were the pranks he and Makoto pulled, mostly on Kosuke, but sometimes on other students and teachers. That was mostly her way to pay back for a test she failed or some student making fun of how she plays baseball.

Baseball. It was a strange sort of game. Makoto had dragged him to few of the local matches when he first came and he was overwhelmed by the amount of crowd, of people cheering and shouting and making so much noise. Then he started playing with Makoto and Kosuke and got addicted to it. It was something too physical and noisy and free for his own time. Something about how far he can shot the ball gave him a sense of independence, something that was not too abundant in his time. Or maybe it was the way the ball looked against the empty sky that was not hidden behind skyscrapers like he knew it will be.

Then something has changed in him the day Kaho approached Kosuke, asking him out. He realized how they were growing up. How Makoto was growing, to be exact. And it gave him a new, a very confusing feeling. Or maybe the feeling was already there and he was only acknowledging it then. He didn't know. He tried telling her, but she had suddenly changed, started avoiding him. He was frustrated.

It was about a week later he became suspicious of her time travelling. He had no regrets coming back in time, meeting his friends but his device was lost and he was starting to panic. The only relief was that no one would understand what it does even if they find it since time travelling was still a dream then. But Makoto's behavior scared him. It took a few more days for him to realize that she was really, in fact, time travelling and that she must have found his device. Under no circumstances was he willing to go back to his time but that was strictly tied with his possibility to find the device before Makoto used all the counts. He became suspicious that she was travelling a lot, for no good reasons either, and he had no choice but to ask her. She must have time travelled then too because he found himself asking a completely different question then the one he intended to. And then it happened. Kosuke's death. He saw her turning into a breathing corpse as she blamed herself again and again, hair fisted tightly, screaming in frustration and anger and self loathing, not eating, not sleeping. He couldn't see her like that. Kosuke was her childhood friend and with a sick feeling at the pit of his stomach, he realized that Kosuke's presence might be more important to her than his own. He decided to use his last jump, if it could stop her from punishing herself.

They had that whole conversation where he told her about him and his reality. She tried to stop him. But she had no idea that it was out of his hands by then. He could not exist in time he was not supposed to exist without a way back to his time. He vanished then.

Later, Makoto saved him. Somehow. Brought him back. Gave him a chance to go back. It was a strange good bye. There was so much left to be said, so many feelings, experiences, confessions. They both were too proud or embarrassed to say them aloud. It happens after such strong friendship as theirs. It was hard to put into words how he didn't think of her just as a friend anymore. She got angry as usual to hide her embarrassment and frustration. He had to leave, and soon. He didn't know what instinct overcame him when he heard her crying after him. But he wanted her to smile. Even as he was pulling her around for a hug, he wanted so badly to never let her go. But he had to. In the end he could think of only one thing to say. Hoping furiously against all the odds of the Universe, he had whispered to her softly.

"I'll be waiting."


	2. Chapter II: Disappointment and Hope

**Chapter II: Disappointment and Hope**

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Girl Who Leapt Through Time_

The phone rang shrilly, shattering the otherwise peaceful silence. It rang for a while before a messy head shuffled, an arm reached out and finally a groggy voice answered it.

"_What?_" the voice snapped sleepily.

"You are late. _Again_." the crisp voice on the other hand said shortly.

The black eyes flew open, all sleep vanishing as a girl with messy black hair sprang into sitting position, "Oh _God_! Oh my God, oh my God, _oh my God_!"

"Yeah, that's what I think so too." the caller sounded smug.

"I - I will be there in a minute." the girl promised as she yanked her clothes off and started running her hands through a pile of clothes scattered all around the room. Subconsciously, she missed the comfort of school uniform that relieved her of any such worries as to what to wear that day. That could be related to the fact that she wasn't a great dresser, nor does she have a good sense of what goes with what, "Just - just distract him or something."

"Ok, you're an idiot and that's impossible. I can stop him for ten minutes - _tops_. You will never be able to arrive by that time." the girl on the other end sounded annoyed and impatient.

"Oh _God_, why today of all days!" Makoto mumbled in panic, "Just - just wait, okay?" she pleaded.

"I will try my best. You know that." the girl said and Makoto could visualize her shrugging.

"Okay. See you later." Makoto said quickly and ended the call, putting on black trouser with her other hand.

It was not unusual of Makoto Konno to get late; she spends most of her life being teased by her family and classmates about her morning sleep-in habit. It was just as normal of her as being unsubtle, which was other thing she was unfortunately good at. But that day was kind of a big deal. She had to present her thesis that day which would determine her grade of master's degree in Physics. She was suppose to be there half an hour ago to set up all the equipment and necessary tools before the teacher and the guest arrive, but she was drastically late.

Pulling on a marginally cleaner shirt than others, she pulled her hair back in a ponytail and stuffed her feet in the shoes without bothering for socks. Swiftly brushing her teeth, she tried to revise all that she had to explain that day. Snatching the keys, wallet and her bag from the table, she ran out the door, slamming it loudly behind her.

She was later than the ten minutes margin Suzano was able to give her, as expected, and she approached to a very agitated and watch-watching Mr. Fujiama, her course in charge.

"Where _were_ you?" he asked in a furious whisper.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!" Makoto whispered sheepishly as she and Suzano arranged her papers. Mr. Fujiama glared at her for a moment before giving up as a lost case, "You got five minutes." he growled.

"Okay, okay." she said frantically. All the way from her home to the University, she had cursed herself for sleeping in, for getting late, for switching off her alarm in her sleep and now she was panicking as she realized that she wasn't as ready for this big moment as she'd liked to be.

_I'll be waiting for you._

The voice hit her like a punch and she gasped, her hands coming to a halt momentarily.

It happens. It always happens the same way. Right in the midst of everything, when she wasn't ready, when she least expected; his voice, the promise, would always come back, jarring her grip on present, her grip on her life. And then following it, her own voice, the promise she made.

_I won't be long. I'll come running._

In that moment she could recall exactly how it felt as he turned her around, his grip gentle on the back of her neck, his hand rubbing her hair, and she would shiver, the wish to escape reality suddenly appearing with sheer ferocity.

"Makoto? _Makoto!_"

She started and few papers slipped down to the floor. She looked up to find Suzano looking at her with a mixture of anger and frustration.

"Sorry." she mumbled as she scrambled for the papers.

"It's time." Suzano pointed out to her watch. Makoto straightened up and nodded.

"Okay, let's go." she said with more determination than she felt, the echo of his voice still fresh in her mind.

x-x-x

Makoto Konno had always dreamt herself with her two friends; Kosuke and Chiaki, leading a crazy schedule, grumbling, complaining, whining about things, they making sure she doesn't get in too many troubles, she taking care of them, making sure some fun still remains in their lives. She had imagined that wherever they'll go, whatever they'll do, they'll be together. Always looking out for each other, making funny nicknames of each other, sharing their lives in some sort of huge friendly bubble.

The first blow came in the form of Chiaki's reality, a hole opened up in her otherwise perfect if slightly confused life and she was forced to let him go. She lied about him to everyone; even Kosuke and it gets harder and harder for her to cope with his absence. She missed him like a part of herself, something went missing in her after he left and she had never been able to fill up that hole ever since, tried as hard as she had.

The next and absolute blow in her plan came in the form of Kosuke going to Medical College, studying to become a doctor, and she being unable to follow him. It was like there was a huge abyss in her life, appearing out of nowhere that stopped her short. Despite Kosuke's long conversations about how it's okay to go in different directions, how they are still friends and there for each other, Makoto found it hard to do anything other than wishing to leap back in time and relive the part of her life where both of them were with her.

It was with a dull sense of depressed anger and anguish at her inability to make things go her way that she decided to ignore her feelings, ignore Kosuke and forced herself to forget Chiaki's last words. She decided to take revenge against her own life, her very fate that scattered all three of them apart no more than like straws, and chose a completely different field than Kosuke's, either to show him that she doesn't need him anymore or to prove that to herself. She ignored Kosuke's calls, his messages, replied him shortly if he, once in a long while, would come to see her, pushed herself away from any lingering memories of Chiaki, threw away her baseball gloves, and pulled herself away from any person having any connection to her high school. She had gone into the darkest phase of her life, where everything seemed to go bad for her, where she couldn't find a piece of soft emotion inside her for the world, where all she had became was anger and revenge and hatred, directed at people and at herself. Time used to drag itself for her then, consuming her body and mind and emotions. She would scarcely smile. There was a constant hint of anger in her eyes and a slight frown on her forehead, her jaw clenched most of the time.

It took almost two years but it passed. _Finally_. That phase of her life ended, slowly at first, then quickly at the end. She came out of it feeling exhausted but relieved. She learned to forgive herself and her friends; Kosuke and Chiaki. She went to meet Kosuke and though he was very busy with his studies, he put aside his books and talked to her and finally she realized that they were still friends, not as close as before but still an important part of each other's life. She spent that entire evening with Kosuke, talking stiffly at first but then relaxing, smiling, laughing and for the sake of old times, teasing. He had been with a few girls, but now he was completely into this one girl; his junior, with brown hair and green eyes, and the way he described her made Makoto laugh hysterically and made Kosuke annoyed as he threw pillows and stationary at her. It was some time well spent and it blew away most of her depression from last few years. At the end, they promised to keep in touch and Kosuke scolded her for giving up previously and she hung her head as he lectured her and wondered if that's what felt like being scolded by a big brother for acting stupidly. He gave her one of his baseball gloves and threatened to kill her if she lost it. She promised, eagerly snatching it out of his hands. They finally said goodbye and she got on the bus as he waved at her. Later, she realized that Kosuke's presence made her feel like a naughty, little girl and wondered if that's the reason why she acted so immaturely around him and that could be because Kosuke acted so big-brotherly and mature around her, scolding her for being stupid, teasing her over little things as a way of his appreciation and wondered why in the first place she gave up on him. He was like her family.

Coming to terms with Chiaki's departure was harder. She reminded herself that she sent him in the first place; she restored his time leap and thus made sure that he stays alive. She told herself that it was a good idea, that they had no other choice anyway and that Chiaki was alive, wherever or whenever he was. But still, there was this hollow feeling in her that intensified whenever she was treated with a sweet reminder of her high school life, of their days together, of Chiaki's rich voice introducing himself that first day of his arrival, his awkward proposal for a date, everything. And it hurts to know that he was out of her reach, no longer able to hear her, tease her, see her in a Yukata. And she felt incomplete, like there's still something of her left behind.

Makoto Konno, a girl of dreams and wishes, of small gestures of care and love, of fake complaints and lots of life, was disappointed by life.

x-x-x

For the people of his time, everything was a struggle for the existence of humanity. For about fifty years or so, the poisonous air of the huge explosions during The Great War had limited them to underground living quarters, breathing heavy, humid air, getting short exposures to sun, making sure the poisonous environment doesn't affect them, all the while struggling to find a way to clean the air above, to make it habitable. It took decades but finally, a few generations back, the scientists came up with a slightly difficult but reasonable solution to the problem and invented a type of liquid that could be sprayed in the air to detoxify it. His uncle was one of the two hundred healthy humans to volunteer for the job and he and his fellows detoxified an area large enough for them to come above the ground and live in sun and blowing air. But due to precautions, he never married to make sure no lasting effects of the poisonous air to his body pass to his children. For Chiaki, he was a hero. He sacrificed his love for humanity and Chiaki had hero-worshipped him all his life. He was the kind of uncle who is a friend of every kid; cracking jokes, showing tricks, bringing small gifts, wild stories, lots of loud games. A throbbing presence in his otherwise dull and empty life.

Soon the purifying chemical was given to other areas of the world so that whatever little land there was not flooded with sea was made habitable. People started making houses above ground, growing crops in sun, starting life back on Earth.

But the haunting scenes of War had sobered them to the limit of a robot. Each step they took was to do something productive. Each item they spent their money on was absolutely essential and nothing less important. They became humans without an extra emotion to spare, any extra effort to put that wasn't for the environment and their survival, any soft words to say that weren't suggesting a solution for the population. They became quiet and seemed to be under a grieve burden from a century old War. They started helping selflessly, talking in dim tones, moving about their business quietly, the loud noises of a century earlier still echoing everywhere around them.

Everything was precisely calculated; food, clothing, medicines, appliances. The concept of luxury and relaxation left them as they refused to treat themselves for the guilt of their ancestors and the burden of establishing a new, more stable society.

As much as Chiaki and the others of his generation were appreciative to that sense of responsibility forced by burden of guilt, they weren't at as much peace with it as their elders might have wanted them to be. There was a growing restlessness among people of his age; a kind of boredom accompanied by slight irritation at the silent way their elders move. But the feeling was still too wide apart. Chiaki had never been in the company of more than two teenagers; mainly because there were so few people left, a single generation never contained more than a hundred kids and they were spread over a large area. There were no occasions of public union, no sports, no picnic points, not even the idea of Christmas or New Year. They were taught the subjects of Science at homes; the idea of school or college too extravagant or a waste of time and place for their elders.

It was too lonely in his time. Chiaki Mamiya longed for some human contact, someone called friend. It was around the time of his tenth birthday that the first time travel took place.

It gave him hope.

x-x-x

_A/N: A small chapter – a brief history of each character. Review please._


	3. Chapter III: Hard Decisions

**Chapter III: Hard Decisions**

Disclaimer: I don't own The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

"Makoto. What do you say, wanna go out?" It had begun again, all over again. The same piece of memory.

There was a long pause. She was stunned to muteness, her mind numb with shock at the unexpected situation.

Then, "What was _that_? Why would you _say_ that?" she had demanded, her voice panicky. Something heavy felt like dropping in her stomach. _How could - why would Chiaki wanna go out with her? Where was that coming from? How could she do that? It will change everything!_

She had always been afraid of changes but Chiaki's suggestion truly terrified her. He and Kosuke were her only close friends. _Will that change? Will Chiaki stop hanging out with them if she refuses? Will he take offense? _The threat of change hovered over her as she tried to wrap her head around the concept.

"You were wondering what it would be like if Kosuke got a girlfriend. I mean, I'm not ugly or anything, am I?" he replied, his voice sounding more mature than she ever knew. She gulped.

"Are you _serious_?" she asked in disbelief, hoping with all her heart that he would suddenly burst out laughing, teasing her for making her uncomfortable.

"Dead." he said with a slight twist of his head and she was able to see his face. His eyes were dark and serious, a slight frown between them. His mouth lacked its usual smirk, instead it was a straight line; in undeniable support of his word.

She felt a sudden hollowness following his words. _How can a simple discussion about Kosuke lead to this mess? What was she supposed to do? What will be the consequences of a simple yes or no?_ There seemed to be a huge dark opening yawning on her face; symbolizing her fear of unpredictable future. She realized she was scared to answer him.

There was a sudden lurch as the bike started again, making her fall backwards.

Her eyes flew open, a loud gasp escaping her mouth. She was greeted by silence. Her eyes opened wider as she stared at the ceiling, barely visible in dark. She breathed deeply, blinking rapidly. It took her a few seconds to realize she had been dreaming. She bit her lip as she slowly turned to her side, trying to pry away from that dream by moving in reality, trying to forget it.

Ever since Chiaki had gone, she dreamt about him, flashes of memories; mostly there time from school but sometimes about odd scenarios including the two of them only. Six years had passed since she had last seen him and only from the past year had the dreams about Chiaki had increased considerably. It seemed as if the harder she tries to forget him, the more alive he becomes in her dreams. She couldn't even remember his face without concentrating first but in dreams he was exact to the minute details. In her dreams she couldn't imagine ever forgetting what he looks like; so sharp was his image in her mind then. But as soon as she opens her eyes, his face gets foggy, increasing her frustration for the amount of effort she has to apply just to remember some little detail of his face. She clenched her jaw as she sat up, her short black hair messy and barely touching her shoulders. Clenching her eyes shut for a moment, she stood up and walked out of her room.

She sat on a chair beside the dining table in the kitchen, a glass of water between her both hands, her finger tracing the rim. She tried to remember how she got there, when did she crossed the stairs and entered the kitchen. She couldn't remember and it irritates her; not being able to recall small useless details. After staring at the glass for several minutes, dreamy fog still hazy in her mind, she finally drank it.

She tilted her head against the chair as she put the glass down, closing her eyes.

_Why? Why can't I forget him? Forget those few years with him? Why does it all have to come back? Again and again? When it's pointless. Useless. I can't see him again. Can't meet him. That was the end. Why can't I move on? There was more to my past than him. So much more. Why do I have to keep running in circles?_

She wanted to fling the glass against the wall, wanted to hear the reliable, expected crash; perhaps just to get the feeling of having at least something in her control. Even if it's just a glass.

"Oney-chan?"

She started, her elbow jerking and the glass slipped out of her hand, falling to the floor. Her eyes followed it, a sense of helplessness washing over her, watching the sudden turn of events, of unpredictable arrival of her sister taking away that last sense of control as it finally crashed against the floor and shattered into pieces.

"_Oney-chan!?_" her sister gasped, looking apologetically at the broken glass. Makoto stared at her absentmindedly.

"Miyuki?" she let out after staring at her sister for several seconds, "What are you doing here?"

"I am thirsty. I came downstairs and saw the kitchen light on. Sorry about that." Miyuki ended sheepishly, looking at the glass again.

Makoto took a deep breath, coming out of daze, "No problem. Help me clean it up?" she said as she kneeled down to pick up the bigger pieces. Miyuki nodded, going for the broom.

"What were you doing down here?" she asked as the two sisters finished up cleaning the mess.

"I couldn't sleep." Makoto said quietly. Miyuki looked up at her curiously.

"Insomnia?" she asked and Makoto sighed. Ever since her sister had started her medical studies, she made sure to update their family on how many symptoms of different diseases they could have just because of a casual sneeze or a cough. Makoto found it downright disgusting sometimes; the way Miyuki describes the function of bacteria in their body.

"No, Miyuki. Just a bad dream."

"Oh." she sounded genuinely disappointed and Makoto smiled wanly. Funny having your sister wishing for you to get a disease just to prove her diagnosis correct.

"Well, I'm going to bed again." Miyuki said, throwing the last remnants of glass shards in the trashcan, "Good night."

"Yeah, I should go too." Miyako said, her voice thick with sleep and tiredness not entirely from her lack of sleep, "Good night."

x-x-x

The time leap was almost useless for going into future. You have to be absolutely sure of the time you are leaping into, some sort of reference in the future, which was of course impossible to get. You can't be sure of the existence of that reference in future and so, you can't leap into future.

The leap in the past was another story. Once the time-shell, a walnut shaped device used for time leaping, was ridden of every flaw, several people went into past and back successfully as the part of initial tests. Once again, his uncle was one of them. As a sign of gratitude for his agreement to experiment the time leap, he was give a time shell as were four others who took part in the experiment and came back successfully. The time-shell, once you get in contact with it, gives hundred solid time leaps. The governments strictly limited their manufacture and production to make sure they don't complicate the already difficult life. Time shells were given only for research purposes of physical phenomenon; time warp, the gravity's influence on time, or to historians that dare make a leap to the time of The Great War. Their usage was strictly limited for dire situations only; the matter of life and death. Even then, it was forbidden to use them to avoid a death because the scientists were afraid it will create problems in the carefully designed time and space fabric, the sequence of events in the Universe.

At the age of thirteen, Chiaki first heard of a strange painting by several historians that leaped to the time of Great War and saw it getting destroyed. They described the way people of that age responded to the news of its destruction; with horror as if it was something most precious. Only one person that travelled back to time was able to get a glimpse of it and he described it to be something peaceful. As far as their historians were able to learn about it; it was created in a time similar to The Great War, time of war and famine yet it was a thing of beauty. They reported that people of past were as enchanted by its beauty and history as they were. It was suggested to go to the time before the war, to see the painting in its true form but the idea was soon discarded; firstly because time leaps were precious and couldn't be wasted on a painting and secondly, they weren't sure if a leap back to such long time was safe, having never going that far before. The painting remained a hot topic for about a year before fading away like all the other pieces of history.

But it never lost its mystique for Chiaki. For him, it was yet another push to his destiny, another flame to his raging curiosity of past. He spent hours after his on-screen education and professional training session, questioning his uncle tirelessly about the painting. His uncle would tell and re-tell the same things; the guy never saw the complete painting, just a part of it, it was peaceful and very old even by the standards of a century ago. Its origin was unknown, only the time was certain and that was somewhere around the time the people of a century earlier would call Time of Genocide. It was never enough for Chiaki. He got obsessed with it. Something how the painting was a reminder of beauty in the times of war for the people whose later generations were responsible for The Great War, gave him a strange hope and belief in people's ability to love and live before it.

For months he was unsettled, curious for any bit of news about that painting, anxious, tensed even. What he didn't notice in his agitation was that his uncle was observing him, trying to know what was bothering him about that painting. He only found out when his uncle decided to ask him directly instead of simply reading his behavior.

It happened around the time a terrible piece of news was being whispered among the scientists and those who agreed to test the first time leaps. His uncle had never looked so shaken before. He would spend hours of several nights staying awake, pacing anxiously. Chiaki finally begged him to tell him.

What he heard was as eerie and scary as anything could be in his time.

Among the five original participants of experiment, there also were two women. One of them had been using her time leaps for going further and further back in time with the time shell she was awarded. The last time she made the leap, she didn't come back.

His uncle was going crazy with anxiety and he realized she must be someone important to him. So he asked.

"She was a . . . an old friend of mine." his uncle had replied shortly. Chiaki became silent.

His uncle stared at him for a moment before asking, "What's bothering you, Chiaki?"

Chiaki looked up, taken aback, "Me? Nothing."

"Then tell me why are you so concerned about this painting?" his uncle pressed.

Chiaki smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "It's, like, _strange_, don't you think? It was made in a time people knew to hate only. Like the Great War. I just - I just want _so _badly to see it. It's like some sort of hope that people before us were not all blood thirsty murderers."

His uncle stared at him, his eyes measuring the truth in his words. Finally, he breathed deeply and Chiaki realized he was holding his too.

"I had no idea you think about this painting as a symbol of humanity."

"But I do."

His uncle took a deep breath again. He reached down in his pocket and pulled out a mall metallic box. Chiaki knew all too well what was in that and that was the reason he recoiled as his uncle pushed it towards him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, unable to understand.

"Take it. Go back in time. See it. And tell me how is it." his uncle sounded tired, melancholy.

"_What?_ No!" Chiaki was too shocked to realize he had already held the box.

"I have no use of it. Until Haru comes back, I can't go and see it for you. Until I know she's safe, I can't do much with it. And if it can get you some answers, then you should use it. But it's on your own risk. I'm just suggesting a solution."

"But -" Chiaki couldn't find another excuse. The truth was, he had been dying to use time travel, dying to explore the unchartered territory of past, but never thought he would get the chance. And now here was his chance. Probably his _only_ chance.

"I - I will think about it." he mumbled, his voice unstable.

x-x-x

Her days never felt so long before. Her new job, at a Research Laboratory, should have busied her mind or she expected it to, but no. Since when things have gone the way she wanted or expected them to? Her whole life she had been scheduled unknowingly for one unpleasant surprise after another. And now she was getting tired of the surprises.

Why was she feeling like that; lost and her mind replaying all her time with Chiaki, she couldn't fathom. The more she tried to busy herself, the more depressed she became and missed his presence. It was like a delayed response to his departure - a _much_ delayed response. The grief and sense of losing that didn't quite came when he left, was consuming her completely now. Talking with Kosuke would only worsen it; bringing back fresh wave of memories.

_He could have at least told __**you**__ about it. I mean, considering he had a thing for you._

A _thing_ for her. His last words. His confession that he didn't go back because of them. Admitting that he used his last time leap because she was blaming herself for Kosuke's death.

Something heavy, metallic will raise in her throat at all those memories. She wanted to scream and scream, letting all her frustration out, all the confused turmoil of feelings get ridden of, but she couldn't. She wanted to smash a thousand glasses, wanted to relish the pleasure of destroying things with her own hands instead of watching them get destroyed by something uncontrollable like fate, but she couldn't.

And more than anything, she wanted Chiaki back.

"That's a pleasant surprise."

She had finally decided to meet her aunt Kazuko, just to get her mind off the several things bothering her. Her very first sentence reminded her of the time she brought her treats when she was doing useless time leaps. She clenched her jaw to shake away the memory and nodded a little. Her aunt took her to her workshop and she sat down heavily on the couch. Kazuko sat opposite her, on a chair.

For a long time there was silence in the room as Makoto stared at the floor and Kazuko stared at the brush in her hand. Finally she spoke up. Her aunt had serenity around her that always calm Makoto down.

"Makoto, what is it?"

Makoto started, stared at her for few seconds, then shook her head, "Nothing."

"I know something is wrong. Something is troubling you. And if you think I can help you, you should share it with me." Kazuko insisted, gently as usual. Makoto just stared at the floor. Finally she breathed heavily.

"You told me about someone once," she spoke up, "Who told you he will come for you and he didn't and you waited a long time."

"And?" Kazuko asked soothingly.

"And - and I don't know but how long - _how long_ can you wait for someone?" she sounded frustrated.

"As long as you can." her aunt replied calmly.

"And then? _Then_ what?" Makoto got agitated.

"Then you go looking for him." Kazuko said simply, shrugging. Makoto raised her head to look at her properly for the first time that day.

"How can I -?" she wanted to say she can't find him because he was in future but remembered she couldn't. She wasn't allowed to tell about time leaps. "It's impossible to find someone sometimes." she mumbled softly.

"For a girl like you, Makoto, nothing is impossible." Kazuko said gently, "As long as the person you are looking for is alive, I know you will find him."

"Him?"

"Chiaki. That's who we are talking about, right?" her aunt smiled knowingly and Makoto gave her a sheepish smile. Then she frowned.

"You never, like, even tried to find him?" she asked curiously. A shadow seemed to pass in Kazuko's eyes and Makoto regretted asking.

"No. I was . . . too afraid, maybe. Afraid of leaving this town, this place, this job. So many things tying me down. Or me letting them bound me," she gave a sad smile, "But, Makoto, you are not like me."

Makoto sighed, "Yeah, I'm probably _worse_."

Kazuko laughed, "No, silly. You're so much _better _than me. There's nothing that can stop you from anything. There are no ties that can stop you. You are much freer than I allowed myself to be." Makoto looked at her thoughtfully as she continued, "If there's one person I know who won't simply sit and wait, it's you. You have to find a way to do this, Makoto."

It all seemed too unreal, too difficult to be real to her. She has to find a way? But, _how_? Is there even a _way_? Someone as optimistic as her aunt would believe anything but she won't. She can't believe anything anymore. Everything she believed in never came out to be the way she wanted it to be.

"I'm . . . not the same girl, Aunt Kazuko." she tried to find excuses as usual, tried to step back before jumping ahead.

"No, you're not. You're stronger now." Makoto rolled her eyes. Kazuko smiled reassuringly, "A lot has changed in your life, I know. But I believe it changed for good. You just have to stop feeling sorry for yourself." Makoto stared at her in disbelief, too horrified by her words. _She wasn't feeling sorry for herself, was she?_

Kazuko went on, "I know you want to do it, Makoto. You were just waiting for someone to tell you that you can."

Makoto bit her lower lip as she stared out the window. Try as she might, she can't deny the fact that Kazuko's words made sense to her, gave her a faint hope. The prospect of not just sitting around, missing Chiaki but to do something to get to him, to at least give it a try, was more than welcome. "Maybe. I don't know." she whispered.

x-x-x

He realized soon enough that there never was a choice for him. His mind and heart were already too deep in the past and he could only quench their thirst if he wanted to live the rest of his life sanely.

The risk - he will take it.

Their ancestors' cruelty - he never believed it.

The painting - he will finally be able to see it.

"I'm going." he told his uncle, his voice determined and stronger than he ever thought he would be. His uncle smiled.

"Do you want me to tell you what it will be like or do you want to discover it yourself?"

He decided to test himself thoroughly, "I'll see it myself."

"Okay then. But Chiaki," his tone became warning, "Make sure not to make any connections in past, if you get there in one piece."

"Connections?" Chiaki was confused.

"Friends. Any other connections. Just don't let your feelings overcome you. That would be very unprofessional."

"Is there a chance of doing that? You and everybody else say people back then are not worth going back for." Chiaki said accusingly. His uncle shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh and before you jump," his uncle changed course, "Be _very_ specific about time and the place. Which day of which month of which year and which town of which city of which country."

"_What?_" it was a lot of which, which. His uncle laughed.

"_How_ do I jump?" he asked the obvious question.

"Like you always do." his uncle shrugged.

Chiaki frowned uncomprehendingly, "What do you mean, like _this_?" he jumped a few centimeters in air.

He didn't come down on the same ground.

It was like something grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked hard. He never got a chance to even shout out his surprise.

The next thing he knew, he was in between dimensions, time strips of events floating all around him. His breath was caught so hard in his chest that he felt his ribs burning. All around him there were noises; shouts, screams, blasts, whispers of a century's worth events passing in a blur. He caught sight of a blurry image of a city exploding here, people running there, nothing distinct.

_Be very specific about the time and place._

The advice popped in his mind as he tried to get it working. The destination was burned in his brain.

_Shitamachi. Tokyo. Japan._

He thought desperately again and again.

_Shitamachi. Tokyo. Japan._

The names were historical to him. They didn't exist in his time.

_Shitamachi. Tokyo. Japan._

He saw a small window opening in front of him. Far, far away. It got bigger as he neared it. He closed his eyes in concentration.

_Shitamachi. Tokyo. Japan._

The window swallowed him whole just as he opened his eyes. Far below him something sparkled brightly.

For half a second he was suspended in the air. A half second that was too short for him realize what was going on. Before he could find his breath, he felt himself falling down. Any kind of place or time escaped his mind.

"_Aaaaaaaauuuugggghhhh -_" he screamed like a male banshee.

And then . . .

_SPLASH!_

So much for testing himself.

As he came to rest on his back, the first feeling was of wetness soaking his body. Cold wetness.

Next came the sound of laughter.

"Ahahaha! Did you _see_ that? He fell in the water like a dead fish."

More laughter. Loud and noisy. Very unfamiliar to him.

He opened his eyes and saw a pink sky tinted with yellow and red at the edges, with slight hints of violet. Strange creatures were up there, making scratchy noises. It was beautiful.

Soon, however, he came to his senses as he felt the wetness seeping in his clothes. He tried sitting up and felt a stabbing pain in his back and shoulder.

"_Oww._" he winced as he sat up. The sight before him was very - somehow - _big_. _Vast._

From where he was sitting he could see the large expanse of water in front of him, to his right and left, sparkling and glowing with setting sun's light. The sky went uninterrupted for as far as he can see, an orange-yellow sun with its clear edges, ready to complete its journey.

"_Woah_." he murmured, breathing hard to catch up to his lack of air during the time leap. He stared at the sky, ignoring the pain still shooting up his back and the water under him, his mouth slightly open.

"Hey, you okay?" someone asked in a gentle voice from beside him. He jumped with surprise.

"Wha - _What?_"

It was a middle aged lady with a kind face, a shopping bag full of groceries in her hand, wearing weird clothes. Well, weird for him at least.

"I saw you fall in the lake," she repeated patiently, "Are you hurt?"

Chiaki tried to stand up, his teeth clenched with the effort of not wincing with pain. He finally succeeded and turned towards the woman who now appeared to be a head shorter than him.

He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by another burst of laughter. He looked up to see a gently sloping hill and a bunch of kids standing on top of it, laughing.

"Look, _look_! His pants are _wet_!"

"_Eww!_"

"He was in a hurry!"

Another burst of laughter.

"_HEY YOU MORONS! GET LOST!_" the _gentle_ lady barked, waving her fist threateningly. Chiaki's mouth fell open for the second time that day with shock as he stared at the woman. The kids scampered away, still laughing and joking amongst them.

"I'm okay." he choked out.

The woman smiled at him, no longer a hint of anger on her face, "Okay then. You be careful." she patted him on arm and went away, leaving Chiaki staring after her.

He had made the leap alright.

x-x-x

Makoto paced the room, biting her fingernails in frustration, her hairs spiked in every which direction due to her continuously passing her hand through it.

_How? How do I get to Chiaki? How do I go in future?_

The questions knocked against the walls of her brain. The only way was to get a time shell like the one Chiaki had and for all the Physics she learned, she had no idea how to make one. And Chiaki isn't coming back either, she knew it deep in her heart. Maybe he can't. Maybe he won't. It doesn't matter. She had to see him. Her aunt was right about her. She was the kind of girl who would go looking for the guy if he couldn't come for her.

"Oney-chan!"

"What?" she snapped. Miyuki gave her an abashed look. Makoto felt instantly guilty, "Sorry. What is it?" she asked gently this time.

"Mom is calling you downstairs. She said if you want to walk so much, don't stomp at least." Miyuki replayed sullenly for her sister.

Makoto sighed and crashed on the bed loudly, her head bouncing against the pillow.

"_Fine._ Not pacing."

"Okay." Miyuki said, closing the door again.

"Miyuki!" Makoto called out quickly.

"Yes?" she peeked in.

"Tell me something, if you want to find someone, what would you do?" Makoto didn't know why she was asking her little sister the ultimate question puzzling her.

"Is someone lost?" Miyuki looked anxious.

"Uh, yes. A friend. Not lost, exactly. I just don't know where they are." Makoto replied vaguely.

"Oh. Well, maybe you should search all the places they like to go." Miyuki suggested.

"They are not there. I checked." Makoto sighed.

"Then . . . "Miyuki tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Maybe you can talk to the people who knew them? You know, like neighbors, relatives, friends? Maybe they can tell you something."

Makoto shook her head in disappointment, "No, it won't work. Thanks, anyway." she should have known better than to ask her little sister.

"Are they dementia patient?" Miyuki asked curiously and Makoto groaned.

"No, oh my God, _no!_ Leave your medical out of it!" she said, exhausted.

"Just checking. You never know when a person might start showing symptoms -"

"Yeah, Miyuki, they are _not_ dementia patient. Thank you very much." Miyuki started pushing her sister out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"You will thank me when one of my diagnoses comes true!" Miyuki called out from outside.

"I hope the day _never_ comes." Makoto murmured.

x-x-x


End file.
